Angela Hewwit

[pianoboi666]

next week I will be going to London for vacation.  I have concert tickets to see Angela Hewwit playing the Liszt B minor and the Bach Chromatic Fantasia, among other things.  I was just wondering if neone knew anything about this pianist.

Thanks,

Dan

[whynot]

She's really known for her Bach playing.  I haven't heard her do anything else.  I think she used to be a dancer, and her "thing" is that she knows the early dance forms (as a dancer), and that is said to be her particular insight into the music.  Someone jump in if I'm wrong!  I've heard her live in some Bach.  She has great hands, the playing was a little frantic but good.  If you're into performance practice, she doesn't do all the detailed articulations that some do, but she can definitely play.  Someone on this forum said her Lizst was great, too, didn't they?  There's a thread from not too long ago.  She played in my area recently and did a master class for some of my fellow students the weekend of the concert.   You could check with the nearest music school and see if that's happening.  She specified no Bach in the master class (?).  Have fun!   

[pizno]

She rocks!  Look at her website.

[pseudopianist]

She is an amazing Bach player. I would recomend you give her French Suites a listen.

[bernhard]

I second that. Angela Hewitt is an extraordinary pianist . Besides Bach she plays a lot of modern repertory (in particular Messiaen). She recently released a CD with the Chopin Nocturnes (I have not heard it – it received mixed reviews – some people loved it, some hated it). Besides her Bach, I do recommend you hear her Couperin (I do not know of any other artist who has recorded Couperin on the piano).

Have a look here where she wrote a most interesting article about it.

https://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,929595,00.html

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Noah]

I do not know of any other artist who has recorded Couperin on the piano.

Cziffra recorded some Couperin!

[bernhard]

Cziffra recorded some Couperin!

Actually, I just remembered that Sokolov did too.

[Noah]

Actually, I just remembered that Sokolov did too.

Oh yeah... Sokolov's Couperin (I only heard the Couperin he plays as encores on his live in Paris cd) and his Rameau are fantastic (just like everything else he plays!).

About Angela Hewitt... her Bach is certainly beautiful but a bit underplayed/ uneventful for my taste.

[SteinwayTony]

Ms. Hewitt's Nocturnes are truly well done.  For me, they're not really the "reference recording" that Rubinstein's is, but they are very thoughtful renditions.  Anyone who says otherwise will engage you in an argument where they say "they weren't musical," which is just lazy-speak for "eh, didn't like em."

[krittyot]

Hewitt and Schiff sound very similar to each other, especially WTC.

[dinosaurtales]

She plays wonderfully!  I can't imagine how she would play romantic music - I have only heard her Bach.  Which sort of fascinates me.  If I could play that well, I certainly wouldn't waste my time on Bach!  yuck.

[Alde]

She plays wonderfully!  I can't imagine how she would play romantic music - I have only heard her Bach.  Which sort of fascinates me.  If I could play that well, I certainly wouldn't waste my time on Bach!  yuck.

"Waste time on Bach!" what kind of a comment is this?  Bach's music has endured for 400 years and will most likely last another 400.

[Noah]

If I could play that well, I certainly wouldn't waste my time on Bach!  yuck.

Oh dear...

[BoliverAllmon]

  If I could play that well, I certainly wouldn't waste my time on Bach!  yuck.

OOOOKKKAAAYYYY!!!!!?

[rachmaninoff_969]

Angela Hewitt plays a magnificent Bach and her Beethoven is pretty damn good (I heard her play the 3rd concerto a few months ago).  I have never heard her play anything Lisztian so that remains a mystery to me...but you're in for a HUGE treat with the Bach.

- A

[quasimodo]

For some unexplainable reason I had a negative prejudice about Ms Hewitt but lately I listened to a lot of her recordings, Bach of course and also Messiaen, Ravel and Couperin and I'm totally in love.

Angela you kick a** !!!

[Belgedin]

Which sort of fascinates me.  If I could play that well, I certainly wouldn't waste my time on Bach!  yuck.

  You smell.

[maxy]

Hewitt and Schiff sound very similar to each other, especially WTC.

very funny!
Hewitt was attending a Schiff Bach recital.  During intermission, she was elaborating on how much she disliked his interpretation. 

The funiest "critic" I heard about Hewitt's playing was: "she sounds like someone badly in need of sex.  Her playing lacks some "umph""

[quasimodo]

Hewitt's WTC is IMO average, not exceptionnal except some specific P&F's where she rocks. But I HATE Schiff's Bach in general (and not only Bach actually).

[ramseytheii]

She did record some movements from the Vingt Regards and other Messiaen pieces, but I think her interpretation and technique absolutely pales in comparison with Aimard.  I don't much like the Loriod recording either, but I prefer even that to the Hewitt. 

Unfortunately I havent' heard much more of hers, except her disk of Bach Toccatas, which is just ok, sometimes even annoying, and some Couperin that was played on the radio, which I thought was really fantastic.  Earlier in the thread people were talking about pianists who recorded Couperin, do not forget Casadesus.

Walter Ramsey

[steinwayb]

One of my favourites- she is great

[burstroman]

Hewitt plays Ravel very nicely!

[ahinton]

"Waste time on Bach!" what kind of a comment is this?  Bach's music has endured for 400 years and will most likely last another 400.

How many? Your statement means that it was already enduring almost 80 years before Bach was born! I knew Bach's achievements were of monumental significance, but I didn't realise that even he could manage such a feat of time-travelling...

And yes, Ms Hewitt was a dancer in her earlier life.

Best,

Alistair

[steve_m]

4

[ahinton]

Well, now you do.  You learn something every day.

Er- no, I don't. But I still hope that I learn something every day, for all that. Bach's year of birth is not exactly an unknown, is it?

Best,

Alistair

[bflatminor24]

Where can I find a sample of her playing?

~Max~

PS I'm broke so don't post something like "Why don't you look on Amazon? They have lots of her CDs..."

No.